Costas Verdes has transformed barren coastal areas along Playa Guiones into thriving ecosystems by planting 100,000 native trees over 15 years. The grassroots reforestation project has successfully converted dry, deforested shoreline into lush green habitat supporting wildlife including howler monkeys.
Guardian Global Development · Tuesday, 2 June 2026
#reforestation#Costa Rica#conservation#ecosystem restoration#coastal ecology
A grassroots project has turned deforested beaches into thriving ecosystems by planting 100,000 native treesPointing to a photograph of dry brown long grass hugging the shoreline, Gerardo Bolaños stands in front of a green oasis of seedlings and trees potted in black plastic bags. “This is what Playa Guiones looked like when we started in 2011,” says the executive director of Costas Verdes, a Costa Rican nonprofit.As howler monkeys growl in the background, Bolaños points to the picture next to it – an image of the same patch of land but with scores of flourishing, lush green trees. Today, he says, this is how the beach looks. Continue reading...